Urd versus the Underworld
by Crazy Legs Lacey
Summary: In Urd versus the Underworld, the evil demon Mara is once again up to no good, hoping to turn Urd back into a pure-blooded demon as she once was. Urd must rely on her many strengths, including a family who cares for her and her own hatred against Mara.
1. Into the Depths of the Demon's Land

Urd versus the Underworld  
  
Chapter One: Into the Depths of the Demon's Land  
  
It was a perfect spring day. The birds were chirping, the humming birds humming, and Belldandy was in the kitchen making another one of her famous meals.  
  
"La di da da," Skuld hummed as she walked down the narrow hallway into the kitchen, her thoughts engrossed into the machine she had been working on.  
  
"Belldandy, do you know where I put my dual thrusters and. and. hey! Have you seen Banpei?" Skuld asked.  
  
Belldandy continued the chopping of carrots and the making of rice balls. "I'm sorry, Skuld. I haven't really seen Banpei since yesterday."  
  
"Oh well. He'll turn up. He's probably out looking for the "Welcome" Girl. Banpei is still deeply depressed from when she first left," Skuld sniffed the air around her. "Belldandy! That smells great! What are you making?"  
  
"Oh, it isn't anything much, really. I just thought it would be nice if I prepared a picnic for this afternoon when Keiichi comes home."  
  
"A real picnic? Do you mean like one in the park, with a basket and sandwiches?" Skuld cried ecstatically while eying the food hungrily.  
  
Belldandy laughed as she continued chopping vegetables. "Yes, Skuld. That is the only kind of picnic I know of."  
  
"Wow! That's great, Belldandy! I'll go tell Urd."  
  
Completely forgetting about all of the machines she was presently constructing, Skuld rushed down the hall once again to Urd's room.  
  
"Urd! Urd, let me in!" Skuld cried at the door. As she pounded once more, the door flew open with a tremendous bang and smoke came pouring out of the room.  
  
Then, out came Urd, her hands waving frantically in the air. "Skuld, HOW MANY TIMES HAVE I TOLD YOU NOT TO TOUCH MY POTIONS?!" She cried, slamming test tubes down upon the floor.  
  
"But Urd! I didn't do it this time! I promise!" Skuld said, shaking violently.  
  
"Yeah, ok. and that's why I found THIS thing in my room?" she said, holding up a small gear.  
  
"Oh! I was looking for that!" exclaimed Skuld, snatching it away from her sister.  
  
"Do you have any idea what you have done this time? Over two-hundred vials of potions, and thirteen experiments, all exploded because of you."  
  
Skuld crossed her arms and tried to put on her most innocent look. "You should calm down, Urd. Be happy! After all, we're going on a picnic today!"  
  
"Oh goody. I get to go eat lunch with a little twerp like you in the park. I'm sooo happy," Urd said in a very sarcastic voice.  
  
"You are no fun at all, did you know that?" Skuld yelled as she stormed down the hallway.  
  
Later that day, Belldandy sat expectantly on the steps of the front porch. "Keiichi will be home soon. I hope he will enjoy the food I made for the picnic," she thought to herself.  
  
Within a few minutes, Belldandy could see Keiichi walking pleasantly out of the woods, finally home from school. He smiled and waved at her, the gentle breeze sending his hair flying about his face. What a truly perfect day it was for a picnic!  
  
"Hey, Bell," Keiichi whispered, wrapping his arms around her in a warm embrace. "Something smells awful good again."  
  
Belldandy held onto Keiichi's hand. "I thought that you might like it if we all went on a picnic together this afternoon."  
  
Keiichi looked up at the cloudless blue sky. "That sounds really nice, Bell."  
  
"Great. I'll go get Skuld and Urd," she said with a smile.  
  
As Belldandy whisked off into the house, Keiichi turned his attention back up to the sky. It was such a beautiful day out, but somehow, it just didn't feel quite right. A shadow across the yard turned his glance away from the sky for a moment. "What was that?" he thought.  
  
Belldandy came out of the house with her picnic basket, as did Urd and Skuld, who both absolutely refused to look at each other.  
  
"What a lovely day it is," Belldandy said. Keiichi watched her dreamily as she seemed to float across the yard. Or was she floating? Belldandy was a goddess after all.  
  
Skuld ran up to Belldandy and hugged her arm tightly. "I'm so glad that we can all go to the park today!" she said, and then her glance turned suspiciously to Keiichi. "Except for you.,"  
  
Keiichi backed away from Skuld. He knew that she could do some pretty crazy things when provoked. "Who, me?" He asked. Keiichi knew exactly what Skuld was going on about. She was giving him another one of her, 'You'd better stay away from my sister if you know what's good for you!' looks. When Belldandy turned her head, Skuld stuck out her tongue at him.  
  
"Well, if we're going, let's just get this over with," Urd said tiredly, and with that, they all began to make their way down to Nekomi City Park.  
  
When they finally got there, the sun was high in the sky, which was still as blue as can be. Keiichi still felt odd somehow, and something seemed to be amiss, but what it was, he had no idea.  
  
The group walked casually through the park until they reached a small spot near the lake. "This is perfect!" Belldandy said faintly as she sank down to her knees.  
  
"You picked the perfect spot," Skuld cooed.  
  
Urd sat down on a rock next to Keiichi. "Yeah, just perfect," she said, rolling her eyes.  
  
They all ate away at Belldandy's picnic lunch, which was absolutely scrumptious. "Absolutely delectable!" Keiichi said, rice upon his chin and sushi on his shirt.  
  
Belldandy grinned and laughed. "I'm glad you like it so much." She wiped her mouth daintily with a napkin before taking another bite.  
  
Suddenly, the calm and peaceful wind grew to a howl, the clear blue sky turned black with storm clouds, and the waters of the lake swirled, spewed, and sputtered. As the trees groaned with an effort to stay rooted, the lake waters rose up, high into the sky, creating a tower of madly rushing and whirling water.  
  
"What's going on?!!" Skuld screamed as she struggled to stay on the ground.  
  
Then, the form of a wicked blonde woman emerged from the torrent of water, followed by what seemed to be an endless number of demons. The woman's hair was tangled about her body, wrapping itself around her waist and legs. She had rough, pale skin that seemed to barely stretch over her gaunt figure. As the woman floated down to earth, she let out a low-pitch cackle and summoned the demons to her.  
  
"Mara!" Urd yelled with surprise. Belldandy gasped as Mara unleashed an enormously powerful energy blast in their direction. Luckily, it zipped past them, tearing down every living thing in its path.  
  
In a surge of her hatred, Urd flew with the speed of light up to the lake shore, her fist ready to merge with Mara's face. Before she could reach her, though, the great army of demons flung themselves upon her. Urd tried to fight them off of her body, but there was too many for her to handle and they began to drag her into the lake.  
  
"Nooo!! Stop! Please, stop!" Belldandy cried as she ran for her sister.  
  
"Goodbye," Mara hissed as she sank into the lake, the rest of her demonic followers right behind her.  
  
Belldandy fell to her knees, sobbing. The waters sank back to their original form, the sky regained its purity and the wind died back down as Keiichi hurried up to Belldandy to comfort her.  
  
"It's ok, Bell. It'll be alright," he whispered, holding her head in his arms. "We'll get her back."  
  
Skuld wandered up to her sister, completely stunned at what had just happened. "Where did Mara take her, Belldandy?"  
  
Belldandy raised her tear-streaked face to look at Skuld. "She was taken into the underworld to be turned into a pure-blooded demon as she once was, and I'm afraid Urd won't have the strength to fight it again," she whimpered.  
  
Skuld's eyes bulged with fright, unable to say anything for the great lump in her throat and the dreadful thoughts of her goddess sister as an evil lord of terror, reborn once more. 


	2. Urd Struggles with the Dark Side

Urd versus the Underworld  
  
Chapter Two: Urd Struggles with the Dark Side  
  
Urd woke up on the cold floor of a large, damp cavern. "Oooh, my aching head," she moaned. "What happened to me?" Slowly, she crawled to her knees, her vision still slightly blurred.  
  
As Urd's sight of the cavern grew clearer, she began to notice dark figures looming out from behind every rock in sight. Eventually, the creatures got brave enough to straggle closer to Urd. Their creepy little orange eyes watched over her carefully, malicious intent masked behind them.  
  
"Get.away. from me!" Urd screamed as she lunged at the monster closest her. Before she collided with it, every last one of them vanished instantaneously back into the shadows.  
  
"Quit playing games with me, Mara! I know you're doing this. If you want to fight me, than do it!" Urd yelled at the cavern walls.  
  
A vague echo threw itself out of the shadows. It was Mara's evil and incessant laugh. "But I like messing with your mind, Urd. It's a lot of fun to watch you leap at the air, calling it names and trying to attack it."  
  
"Mara! Tell me why you brought me here! Tell me, Mara, why are you hiding from me? Are you ."  
  
"Do you think that I'm afraid, Urd? Is that really what you believe? Well, you're quite mistaken then."  
  
Urd drew herself to her feet. For some reason, her energy seemed absolutely drained. Just standing there took all she had.  
  
Mara began her wicked laughing again. "You look weak, Urd," she said.  
  
"I don't know what you're talking about."  
  
Mara finally floated out of her hiding place and into the cavern with Urd.  
  
"Oh come now, Urd. We can both see that you are trembling. Or is that a shiver of fear? Don't tell me that the great Urd is afraid of me?"  
  
Mara's blue cloak was wrapped tightly about her, exposing bones through the fabric. She circled Urd many times, her burgundy boots clanking on the floor for every stride she took.  
  
"You're, you're just an illu.an illusion, Mara. You didn't bring m. me here to fight with me, did y.you?" questioned Urd. It grew harder and harder for her to remain standing.  
  
The image of Mara disappeared as the creatures had done before. "Very good, Urd. But I wish that I had brought you here to fight you. In your condition, it would be an easy battle, but, nevertheless."  
  
Urd could barely find the energy to speak, "Mara, just spit it out, would you!"  
  
"Tsk tsk, Urd. You're so impatient anymore. You were never like this before you became a goddess."  
  
"So that's it, is it? You want me to become a demon again, Mara? Well I've been down that road before, and I'm not going back."  
  
As Mara's voice rang through Urd's head, the cavern walls disappeared, leaving a black and lifeless plain behind it. "But you don't have a choice now, Urd! You will rule the underworld once more as the Lord of Terror! Every ounce of goodness left in you will be drained!!!"  
  
The little creatures from the cavern began to show up in large numbers now, and as they drew closer to Urd, she knew exactly what they were.demons of the Underworld.  
  
Yes, demons of the Underworld. They are the very creatures that bring death and despair to all of humanity and the ones that suck every last hope and every single dream from a person, making them believe that there was no reason to life.and no point to go on living. Yes, they were the foulest of creatures, but then again, look at who was leading them.  
  
As their ugly, elongated fingers reached out towards Urd, and their sickly bodies heaved with the effort of breathing, she realized that this was no illusion. This time, it was real, and if Urd didn't get away from the demons soon, all of her hope would be gone, and a she would become as horrendous a demon as they were. "That is why I'm feeling so tired; I have already began my transformation!"  
  
Urd struggled to get away from the demons, their putrid little limbs constantly pulling her down.  
  
"What's the use? I can't get away, so I might as well join them." Urd began to think.  
  
"Yeeeesssss.join usssss." the army of evil cried. "Come with us to a land of greatness and unspeakable deeds. What fun you will have there, and besides, what does the life of a goddess hold for you? What does it do for you?" they hissed.  
  
Urd's mind was completely blank. She tried to think about what was happening, but the more she thought about it, the weaker she grew. "Yes, I will be a demon," she began to chant.  
  
Then it all came together. "NOOOO!" Urd yelled. She was back to herself again, and with all of her strength back, it was time to roast some demons.  
  
"Die, you evil little creatures! Taste my energy blasts! You want some?" Urd threw bolt after bolt of purple lightning surges upon the Underworld demons until they finally all to sank back into the earth.  
  
"Well, Mara, I guess that would make the score: Urd, 1, Evil, 0," Urd laughed happily.  
  
Mara began dematerializing from the ground where here followers had admitted defeat.  
  
"Well now, miss Urd. I'm actually quite shocked that you pulled it off," Mara whispered.  
  
Urd crossed her arms tightly over her chest. "Did you really expect those things to stop me?"  
  
"I have to say that I did. However did you fight their alluring clasp to despair, for I really am curious."  
  
"It isn't very hard, you know," Urd began confidently, "if you have someone that you love and who cares for you to think about. Even when you begin to believe your life is meaningless, their happy, smiling faces will always pull you through."  
  
Mara began clapping her hands and cheering softly. "That was truly touching, Urd. I congratulate you, but.it isn't over yet!!!"  
  
"Huh?"  
  
Just then, a massive yellow light shot out from Mara. Urd gasped and tried to dodge what was coming next, but there was no chance for her. The yellow beam blasted into her, full-force.  
  
"AAAaarrrgggghhhhhh!!!" Urd let out an earth shattering scream, but it never helped her. As the power of the blast worked its way through her body, every piece of love, compassion, and goodness left her, just as Mara had said it would.  
  
And so it was, Mara had succeeded in turning Urd to the Lord of Terror as before. Now it would be incredibly hard, if not impossible to change her back.  
  
Meanwhile, in Nekomi, Belldandy, Skuld, and Keiichi were doing everything they could to reach the Underworld and to save Urd. 


	3. For the Love of thy Sister

Urd versus the Underworld  
  
Chapter Three: For the Love of thy Sister  
  
After Urd's capture in the park, Belldandy, Keiichi, and Skuld all rushed back to their home, hoping to find some way to save their dear friend. They were all standing in Skuld's Lab as she ran about the room, madly trying with all of her might to think up some machine that would transport them to the Underworld.  
  
"I know there must be some way! I have to own some kind of transporting machine. How could I go about making one? Eraaargh!!! Where did I put that manual on teleportation devices?" Skuld screamed as tore through everything in sight.  
  
Keiichi stopped Skuld in her tracks, grabbing hold of her arm. "Skuld, you mustn't get too out of control here. You need to calm down so you can think of a good idea."  
  
Skuld lashed out, dropping everything in her hands. "CALM DOWN? Do you have any idea what I am going through?! That is my sister who's out there!"  
  
"Skuld," Belldandy began, resting her hand upon Skuld's shoulder, "Keiichi is right. It is hard for one to think straight when they are as worked up as you are, and Urd is counting on us. We have to do this for her."  
  
Skuld smiled as she looked up at her sister. "You're absolutely right, Belldandy. I have to focus," she murmured.  
  
As Skuld foraged quietly through the room for her teleporting guide, Keiichi motioned for Belldandy to come with him into the privacy of the hall.  
  
"Bell, how are we going to pull this off? Do you think we are capable enough to get into the Underworld?" Keiichi whispered.  
  
Belldandy tried to smile as she said, "You must have faith, dear Keiichi, or we will have no chance."  
  
Keiichi wrapped his arms around Belldandy in a friendly hug. "That's what I love about you, Bell. You always have hope in everyone."  
  
"Eureka!" Skuld cried from her room. Keiichi and Belldandy instantly rushed into the room to find the source of the commotion.  
  
"Skuld! Is something wrong? You're not hurt, are you?" Belldandy asked, concerned for her little sister.  
  
"No, of course I'm not hurt, but I've found an idea for our transportation to the Underworld!"  
  
Keiichi's eyes got big and his face twisted into a rather large grin. "Really, Skuld? Did you really find something?" He exclaimed.  
  
"Yes, Kei. I did! Look here. If I combine these two compounds, and withhold them in a magnetic field, you get a dimension traveler. That is, of course, only when you add the correct amount of radioactivity."  
  
"That would be great, Skuld, but the Underworld isn't a dimension of its own, is it?" Keiichi asked inquisitively.  
  
Belldandy moved her hands silently over her little sister's magazine, taking in all of its contents. "Actually, the Underworld is considered a dimension for us goddesses, as is heaven," she said.  
  
Keiichi just nodded while Skuld went to work on her machine. "Let's see, if I put that there, and I intertwine those two wires," she declared to herself. "Hey, Kei, would you go get me a chisel-nosed screw-driver from your supplies? I think Urd took mine to spite me for messing with her potions."  
  
"Surely, Skuld," Keiichi answered, leaving the room for his tool chest. He wandered down the hall and outside to his work shed. It was growing late, but the sun was still high up above the trees.  
  
Heaving open the heavy wooden doors, Keiichi entered his little haven. Inside were all of the things he was most proud of, like the first bike he had every built by himself. Near the back of the shed lay his most prized possession of all time. It was a picture of him and Belldandy on their first trip to Tokyo together. Keiichi had cherished that picture more than anything else he had ever owned. He glanced at it lovingly as he searched for the screw-driver.  
  
Keiichi's tool-box was full to the brim with of all his bike repairing equipment. Finally, he found the driver below a box of spare screws. He wiped his brow as he closed up the chest, for it had grown much hotter throughout the day.  
  
When Keiichi re-entered Skuld's room, he found the two girls admiring the already complete machine.  
  
"I call it the Skuld Ultimate Transport 3000! It's a pretty flashy title, isn't it?" Skuld beamed.  
  
Keiichi sighed. "I thought that you needed a screw-driver though?"  
  
"No. Belldandy found mine. It was just under my bed. Hey! Now that you're back, we can test it!"  
  
"Excuse me?" Keiichi backed away slowly. "What do you mean by test it?"  
  
Skuld pushed him nearer to the big, shiny portal of light. "Don't you worry yourself, Kei. I'm coming with you."  
  
Belldandy watched as Skuld forced Keiichi into her device. "I'll be back with him in a minute if it works," Skuld assured her sister, jumping into the swirling blue mirror.  
  
THUD! Skuld landed with a crash. When she opened her eyes, she found herself surrounded with thick foliage. "Keiichi? Where are you?" she yelled.  
  
Keiichi's voice rang out from a fair distance to the west of Skuld. "I'm over here. You have to see this, Skuld."  
  
Skuld followed to where she had heard Kei speaking from. The bushes in this area were of great number and incredibly green. It did not seem to look like the Underworld at all.  
  
"What is it, Keiichi?" Skuld questioned as she pushed away the last of the leafy browse.  
  
As she took her place next to Keiichi, Skuld became perfectly aware of where she was.right in the middle of her backyard.  
  
"Well, I guess I need to make some minor adjustments if I want that thing to take us all the way to Urd," admitted Skuld.  
  
Keiichi smiled as he chuckled to himself. "Yeah, that would probably be a good idea," he said.  
  
"So, I take it that you weren't successful?" Belldandy asked as Skuld and Keiichi came into the house.  
  
"No, not hardly," Skuld sighed. "I need to add some things now. This might take a while, so feel free to go sit somewhere while you wait for me."  
  
"Alright," Keiichi murmured as he started off for the tea room.  
  
When Belldandy sat down next to Kei, he noticed how worried she looked. "I know that you're concerned for Urd, but you mustn't fret. I promise you that she will return home with us just as soon as Skuld finds a passage into the Underworld," he promised.  
  
Belldandy looked deep into Keiichi's eyes. "I know we'll get her back," she began, "just as long as we keep on searching for her. I just fear for my sister's safety. I don't know what Mara could have done to her by now, and I dare not try to imagine it." Bell's eyes filled with tears, but she held them back bravely.  
  
"Please don't cry, Belldandy." Keiichi grasped her hand. "I'm sure she's ok. Urd's one tough cookie, you know."  
  
"Thank you for comforting me," Belldandy whispered, tears beginning to release themselves down her cheek. "You've been great, Keiichi."  
  
Within the hour, Skuld and Keiichi had been to four different places, none of them showing any sign of Mara and her demons. "Ok. I think I've got it now. Actually, I'm sure of it! You come too, Belldandy. I have a good feeling about this one!" Skuld pronounced.  
  
As the three of them entered the Skuld Ultimate Transport 3000 (version 5.0), they flipped the switch and were hopefully on their way to Urd. The machine fizzed, sparked, and popped while it sent them all through time and space. Finally, Skuld, Belldandy, and Keiichi landed at their destination.  
  
Skuld was the first to step out of the portal. She glanced about herself at the barren wasteland she was in, followed by her sister and Kei. As her gaze fell upon a small bonfire with the demons of the Underworld dancing around it, she instantly recognized the two people sitting in the middle of the celebration.  
  
"Belldandy! Look, it's Urd and Mara!" she said, delighted to have finally found her older sister. 


	4. When the Tide Turns

Urd versus the Underworld  
  
Chapter Four: When the Tide Turns  
  
"Urd! It's really you!" Skuld cried with happiness as she ran for her sister, Belldandy and Keiichi close behind. Urd turned from Mara and her demon company to see who was calling her, the firelight flashing dangerously in her eyes.  
  
Skuld stopped, not far from the demon's campsite. Something wasn't right. Urd didn't seem to be a prisoner at all!  
  
Urd stood up from her spot by the fire, the demons surrounding her continuing their ritual dancing. The wind howled fiercely as it whipped her hair about her face, her violet cloak billowing out from behind her.  
  
Then, in a flash, Urd raised her hands high up into the heavens and began a devilish chant Skuld could not understand.  
  
"Urd.please don't!" Skuld whispered, stepping backwards into Belldandy.  
  
The sky lit up with a tremendous shot of light which zipped down into Urd's palm, ready to be released at her command. Mara smiled, knowing that her plan was successful.  
  
The dancing demons began to move more frantically, twirling and leaping high into the air, dipping and diving into the fire, never once getting the slightest of burns. As the lightning bolt in Urd's hands grew and sparked, the demons became a blur of darkness, racing around the fire with their medieval dance of death.  
  
Belldandy took Skuld by the hand and sent her to Keiichi. "Please, make sure she stays safe," she requested faintly.  
  
Belldandy bravely began moving closer and closer to Mara and Urd, the dead and dry twigs beneath her feet cracking and snapping. As she approached the edge of the group, Urd released her blast. Belldandy shot up above it and continued her advance.  
  
"What?" Mara questioned, spitting out her sake. "How was she able to dodge that?"  
  
Urd's eyes narrowed as she prepared her next assault, all the while Belldandy drew nearer to the fire.  
  
"Be careful, Belldandy!!" Skuld screamed, trying to free herself from Keiichi's grasp.  
  
Mara stood up next to Urd. "Hurry, you fool! Shoot her!" she yelled. Urd turned away from her target of Belldandy and sent her lightning straight into Mara, who flew at least one-hundred yards away from the circle with the force of the blast.  
  
Before Urd could turn back towards her sister, Belldandy was already upon her. Throwing her arms about Urd, she sobbed into her cloak. "Oh Urd! Please say it isn't so! You must fight it; don't let it destroy you! Come home with us," Belldandy pleaded.  
  
In an instant, the heartless demon version of Urd unleashed her fury into Belldandy, who dropped limply to the cold ground.  
  
Keiichi let go of Skuld. "Belldandy!!" the two screamed in unison. As they both lay down at Bell's side, stroking her soft, golden brown hair, Urd stared down at them, considering what she should do with the new intruders.  
  
Skuld looked up at Urd, pure hatred burning in her heart. "You are not my sister!" she cried. "You are nothing but a selfless demon, and I hate you!"  
  
With Skuld feeling so passionately about something, she invoked her inner angel, who sprang out from in between her shoulder blades. The angel's expression was the same as that of Skuld, determined to destroy the demon and get the real Urd back.  
  
Skuld stood and took a step closer to her demonic sibling. "This is for Belldandy."she whispered. With a mighty roar, she sent her angel after Urd.  
  
Urd dodged left and right, but the angel never gave up its fight. Finally, the angel grasped Urd by her hair and threw her down to the ground, trying to pummel the evil out of her. Struggling madly, Urd sent her fists into the angel. Skuld keeled over from the power of the blow and her angel returned inside of her.  
  
"Skuld! Are you alright?" Keiichi asked. Now both Belldandy and Skuld were injured, but what could Keiichi do?  
  
Belldandy slowly began to open her eyes. "Keiichi." she began weakly. Keiichi looked away from Skuld and focused his attention on Belldandy.  
  
"Keiichi, you must. you must sing some polka music," she said.  
  
"Excuse me?" Keiichi whispered, wondering how this would help them in their situation.  
  
"Yes. Please do this, Keiichi. Austrian polkas will put Urd to sleep until I can recover some of my energy."  
  
Keiichi ran his fingers once more through Belldandy's soft hair. "Er, ok. I'll try to."  
  
Urd floated closer to Skuld while Keiichi racked his brain for an Austrian polka. Laughing hysterically, Urd prepared one final lightning strike.  
  
"I've got it!" Keiichi cried, bursting into song. "Oompah oompah pah pah!" he sang.  
  
Urd held her hands over her ears and twisted madly. All the dancing demons around the fire stopped their interpretive movements to watch what was happening. "Nooo! Stop it, now!" she screamed.  
  
However, Keiichi continued his song. "Oompah pah pah Oompah Oompah pah!"  
  
"Eerraarrgghhh!!!" Urd cried as she fell to the ground in a dreamless sleep. All of the demons ran away from their fire, terrified that their master had just fallen in battle.  
  
Belldandy smiled at Keiichi, gripping onto his hand. "Thank you," she said.  
  
Skuld began to crawl to her feet, rubbing her head vigorously. "Owww. what happened?" she asked, seeing Urd sleeping peacefully on the ground.  
  
"I guess that Urd just doesn't enjoy polkas," Keiichi chuckled.  
  
Belldandy forced herself wearily to her feet. "Alright, I think it's time that we get our Urd back, right, Skuld?" she questioned.  
  
Skuld hugged her sister happily. "That's right, Belldandy!"  
  
Keiichi helped Bell over to the spot where Urd lay, for she was still weak from the blast she took.  
  
"Oh holy light, show her the way," Belldandy started her chant, "Let her heart return and her spirit soar; please make our sister Urd, a goddess once more."  
  
A strange and beautiful light was sent down by the gods, brightening both the Underworld and Urd's heart. Urd's body lifted off the ground and began glowing like the stars at night, her goddess-like qualities being returned to her.  
  
"Ooooo. it's so beautiful," Skuld murmured while watching Urd's own inner angel spread its wings and re-enter Urd's soul.  
  
Keiichi looked dreamily at Belldandy. "You did it again, Bell."  
  
Belldandy didn't say anything, but her warm and gentle smile was enough for Keiichi.  
  
The heavens closed up as Urd's body landed gently back on the ground and the Underworld returned to being dark and damp as it had always been.  
  
Urd's eyes opened a little at a time until she was staring Keiichi, Belldandy, and Skuld in the face.  
  
"Aahh!" Urd yelled, backing away from Kei and her two sisters. "Why in the world would you have to get that close to me!?" she huffed.  
  
Skuld laughed merrily. "It's good to see that the old Urd is finally back," she chuckled.  
  
Urd looked at her surroundings. "Where am I? Is this the Underworld? What happened?"  
  
"It's a long story, dear sister," said Belldandy. "We'll tell you when we get home."  
  
"Yes, let's get out of this god-forsaken place," Keiichi muttered.  
  
The happy little group all supported each other and began walking to the spot where Skuld had dropped her remote for the teleportation device on the ground.  
  
"Hey!" Skuld yelled in shock. "It's not here! Actually, I don't see it anywhere!"  
  
Keiichi let go of Urd, who fell to the earth with exhaustion ("A little help, please?"). "Oh no! It has to be here somewhere!" he said, panic- stricken.  
  
"Let's all look for it!" Belldandy called, already searching on her hands and knees.  
  
Skuld raced around in the mud like a mad woman, frantically searching for her remote. "No, no, no! Please, let me find you," she whispered to herself.  
  
As Skuld focused her thoughts on the ground and searching for her device, she rammed into something. Briefly looking upward, she saw a metal, burgundy boot.  
  
"Uh-oh," said Skuld as she glanced at the owner of the boot.  
  
"Hey there, sweetie. Were you looking for this?" Mara croaked, holding up the control to the teleportation device. 


	5. The Final Showdown

Urd versus the Underworld  
  
Chapter Five: The Final Showdown  
  
Mara twirled the shiny little remote around in her hands. She laughed wickedly when she saw the shock on Skuld's face. "Do you really need this thing?" she sneered, charging up a fire blast in her finger, ready to destroy the only way out of the Underworld for Keiichi and his goddesses.  
  
"Mara! You demon!" Urd cried, trying her hardest to crawl up out of the muck.  
  
Diminishing her blast, Mara glanced over at her pursuer. "Jolly good, Urd. I salute you for your expertise on demon finding, for that is precisely what I am."  
  
"SKULD BOMB AWAY!" All Skuld needed was a few moments for Mara to let down her guard, and she got them.  
  
The mini missile exploded, with her aim true, right on top of Mara's head.  
  
As the smoke from Skuld's attack cleared, there was no one lying in the spot where the bomb had detonated. "I think I got her!" Skuld cried with glee.  
  
"Sorry, honey. I'm still here," Mara chuckled from behind Skuld, remote still in hand.  
  
Skuld whipped around just as Mara unleashed her fire blast upon her.  
  
Her body wretched in pain, wriggling on the ground while the Queen of Darkness grinned from ear to ear, looking very satisfied with herself. "You are all so weak that you make this quite simple for me!" she hissed.  
  
"Stop it, now!" Urd stammered, finally up on her feet. "Your fight is with me."  
  
"Very well, Urd," Mara began. "If you really wish to be the first to die, then so be it!!!"  
  
Mara rushed at Urd, her fists clenched. "Finally, I will destroy her! I have always dreamed of this moment," she thought to herself.  
  
Her hopes were in vain, however. At the exact moment when the two should have collided, Urd zipped upward, high above Mara. "Lightning Strike!" she screamed, releasing her energy upon her enemy.  
  
"And to think," Urd whispered, "that we used to be good childhood friends."  
  
"Bravo! Yay for Urd!" Belldandy and Keiichi clapped in the background. Urd bowed for them as they cheered.  
  
Belldandy suddenly stopped the celebration when she saw the poor and innocent form of her little sister, paralyzed upon the dirt.  
  
"Skuld! Skuld, are you alright? Open your eyes, Skuld!" she pleaded, laying her head on the girl's chest. "She's still breathing. oh thank god, she's still breathing!"  
  
Urd wandered over to where Belldandy and Skuld laid. "It's ok. She's just unconscious. Skuld will be alright in a few minutes," she said.  
  
Keiichi sat next to Skuld and held her hand tightly. "Do you hear that, Skuld? You're going to be just fine."  
  
Belldandy stroked Skuld's head, and held her tightly. "Oh, my dear, sweet little sister. I'm so sorry that you have to go through with this." she murmured.  
  
Keiichi looked up at Urd, still holding Skuld's hand. "We should probably get her home now. She needs to rest in her own bed."  
  
"Darn!" yelled Urd, slamming her fist into the dead tree next to her.  
  
"What is it, Urd?" Belldandy asked concernedly.  
  
"It's Mara. She still has Skuld's teleportation remote."  
  
"You're absolutely right, Urd. I do still have your cheesy little machine," came a voice none other than that of Mara's.  
  
Looking even more sickly and grotesque than she normally does, Mara came swaggering slowly up the hillside, the remote still in her hand. "I think this is what you want, isn't it, Urd?" she asked, throwing it up in the air and catching it over and over again.  
  
"You just won't die, will you, Mara?" Urd questioned.  
  
"Sorry. Dying just doesn't work well for me." Mara's face was beaten down and bruised from the hits she had taken, her arms scarred and weather- beaten.  
  
"Well, Urd," Mara began, "if you want this thing, you'll have to pry it out of my cold, dead fingers because I am not about to let you out of here on my own free will."  
  
Urd laughed. "Trust me, Mara. That won't be a problem."  
  
As Urd advanced toward the wicked one, Mara let her hands fly up into the air. "NOW!!!" she cried.  
  
Then, in an instant, thousands of Mara's demon warriors raced up the hill to attack Urd.  
  
"Get off of me!" Urd yelled as she fought her way through the demons, but there were just so many. Their disgusting little bodies weighed Urd down heavily, until she finally just collapsed to the ground.  
  
Belldandy had seen enough of Mara and her cruelty. "O Spirit of Thunder! Cast off your Shackles and Fly!" she incanted. Once again, a great flash of light let loose from the sky, coming down straight upon Mara and her demons.  
  
"Aaaahhh!" Mara screamed in agony as she was hit with Belldandy's energy. Half of the demons on the field fell dead instantly, while the rest of them ran away, back into the depths of their own land. Urd lay there on the field, still alive and conscious but unable to move from all the great cuts and slices in her body that the evil little creatures had given her.  
  
Mara lay peacefully on the ground as Belldandy came up to her, ripping Skuld's remote from her hand. As Belldandy turned to walk away, she felt something cold and dry grasp onto her ankle.  
  
"Watch out for Mara!" Keiichi yelled from his spot next to Skuld.  
  
Mara began her demonic cackle once again as she pulled Belldandy to the mud next to her. As Bell was dragged to the ground, she threw the remote out in front of her as far as she could.  
  
Mara clawed at Belldandy with every bit of strength she could muster. Ripping and tearing open flesh, the Queen of Darkness's talons were well suited for this kind of close combat.  
  
As Belldandy fought for her life, Keiichi picked up Skuld's weary body and slung it over his back, carrying it over to where Urd lay. "Watch her," he said calmly.  
  
Urd looked at him respectfully. "I'll do better than that," she muttered. With a vague smile upon her face, Urd let loose the last of her strength into a tremendous energy bomb, sending it across the Underworld and into Mara.  
  
Mara stopped her attack on Belldandy as she was thrown far away from her prey.  
  
"Belldandy!!!" Keiichi cried, running up to her.  
  
"I'm ok," Belldandy whispered in Kei's ear.  
  
As he had done before with Skuld, Keiichi picked up Belldandy's beaten body and walked it over to where her two sisters rested. He set her down gently next to Skuld.  
  
"Be careful, my sweet Keiichi," said Belldandy, kissing him lovingly on the cheek.  
  
As Kei turned, he saw Mara, getting up from where she had fallen next to a decayed old tree stump. Looking around and about himself, he saw Skuld's remote about a hundred yards away, almost hidden beneath the dead weeds surrounding it. "I'll be back," Keiichi said bravely as he dashed for the device.  
  
Mara saw Keiichi running like mad for the teleport remote. She drew herself to her feet, and sprinted to get there first. "There is no way I will let some human ruin my plans!" she declared.  
  
Skuld awoke from her unconscious state and saw the two racing toward the remote. "Keiichi! Hurry! Mara is up!!" she screamed.  
  
Keiichi looked to his left and saw Mara, also giving it her all to reach the remote. "I've got to do this!" he told himself. "I'll do it for Urd and Skuld, and especially for Belldandy!"  
  
With his confidence raised, Keiichi's speed increased enough to grab the device before Mara.  
  
Keiichi ran like a marathon sprinter back to where his friends lay, Mara not far behind. "I'll get you yet, boy!" She threatened, unleashing energy bolt after energy bolt, none even grazing Keiichi's body.  
  
"The middle button!" Skuld yelled as Keiichi drew nearer to herself and her sisters. "It's the middle button!"  
  
As Keiichi dove next to Belldandy, a jovial smile upon her face, he pushed that middle button just milliseconds before Mara's final blast hit the spot where he had been.  
  
"Nnnnnoooooooooo!" Mara screamed, kicking everything in sight in a helpless rage. Finally, her devilish plan had failed.  
  
Within a few moments, Keiichi, Belldandy, Urd, and Skuld were all back in Skuld's bedroom, lying exhausted on the warm wooden floor.  
  
"Oh thank goddess we're back," Skuld sighed as Banpei entered the room, his 'Welcome' Girl beside him.  
  
"Oh, and you're back too, Banpei! I'm so happy!" she cried, throwing her arms about him in a joyful embrace. Banpei blushed as the Welcome Girl twisted her face into a jealous frown.  
  
"Yes, thank the heavens that we're home at last," said Urd, resting her head against the wall.  
  
"Home?" Keiichi thought to himself. "So, she's finally gotten used to living on Earth."  
  
Belldandy got up and threw herself upon Keiichi. "I'm so proud of you Keiichi!" she said, crying into his shirt.  
  
"Why is that, Bell?" Keiichi asked, running his fingers through her hair.  
  
"Oh, Keiichi! You were so brave, and you saved us all," Belldandy whispered.  
  
"Thank you, Belldandy," he answered. "It's just a miracle that we're all home safe." 


End file.
